Saffie Joseph Jr. Triples-Up for Saturday’s Martha Washington
At 0h02, on June 19, 2021 • By GULFSTREAM PARK
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will triple-up for Saturday’s $75,000 Martha Washington at Gulfstream Park in a quest to gain stakes credentials for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Tik Tok Famous and Hana Lima, as well as Peachtree Stable’s Champagne Ivy.
The Martha Washington, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies carded as Race 11, will headline a 12-race program that will also feature the long-awaited return of 2020 Triple Crown competitor Sole Volante in a Race 10 optional claiming allowance.
Both Tik Tok Famous and Hana Lima are coming off dominating maiden scores at Gulfstream, while Champagne Ivy is still looking for her first career win after finishing in the money in all six starts.
“These are well-bred fillies. If you can get a stakes win, it helps them as a broodmare, even it you get a stakes-placing. It’s a good opportunity,” Joseph said. “We could have taken a more cautious route and gone into an allowance, but if you don’t take a chance, you never gain. This is an opportunity to win a stake with them or get them a stakes-placing.”
Tik Tok Famous, who finished third in her only start last year, came off a layoff of nearly a year to romp to a 4 ½-length front-running score in a June 10 7 ½-furlong maiden race on turf.
“She had that layoff, and since that layoff, she trained extremely well. We were hopeful that she would run well off the layoff because of how well she trained,” Joseph said. “It’s a bit quick back after her first race off a layoff, but it’s a good opportunity to win a stake with her or get black type with a placing. She’s trained as good as she did before her last race.”
Tik Tok Famous, an English-bred daughter of Belardo, was purchased for ($141,132) at the 2019 Tattersalls October yearling sale, the same Newmarket, Great Britain sale where Hana Lima, an English-bred daughter of Iffraaj, was bought for $192,453.
